How rare is a one sided nickel Jefferson Monument on one side never stamped on profile side?

Answer 1

Very rare, but maybe not very valuable. Misstrikes are a specialty among coin collectors. Buy or go see at a public library a publication called Coin World. There are ads in the back that will get you started. Most likely you have 1 of 2 pieces used to make a novelty item called a Magician's Coin. These sell regularly on eBay for a couple dollars, but if you just have the one piece I don't think it's worth anything. With so many people asking about coins like this, and no articles in major coin publications (to my knowledge) nor discussions between dealers about them, this has to be some kind of after-mint alteration. To be sure, you can get a free first-hand professional appraisal by ANACS by bringing your coin to any coin show they attend. Their list of shows is here : http://www.anacs.com/shows.html This could be a real error coin. If it is the correct weight (5 gm) it could have entered the press with a second coin which would have only the portrait of Jefferson and a blank reverse. The Redbook does not suggest a value for this type of error. You might try to search eBay to see if anything similar has been offered.